Ranking the Best Dunkers in College Basketball History

Ranking the Best Dunkers in College Basketball History

Slam dunks are some of the most exciting moments in college basketball games.

Because I consider myself both a basketball purist and a hoops rebel, I appreciate fundamentals and tomahawk jams.

While a dunk is only worth two points, I love to see someone rise up and viciously throw one down.

Here is a list ranking the best dunkers in college basketball history

Some of the individuals on this list were virtual unknowns to the common fan. Some were players who did their thing outside the bright lights of Division I games. But still others on this list were among the greatest collegiate players of the past 40 years.

Make sure you check out the videos on each slide.

10. Doug Anderson (Detroit Titans)

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Detroit’s Doug Anderson was a dunking machine.

Some of the great dunkers of college basketball history use their midair magic to add emphasis to a breakaway layup or style to an offensive rebound.

Dunking was an indispensable part of Anderson’s game

His Titans bio made it clear that 135 of his 293 made field-goal attempts over his final two seasons were slams. That means almost half (46 percent) of his made shots were throwdowns.

But his dunks were not basic, straightforward slam dunks. As you can see in the video, Anderson’s dunks were forceful and creative.

9. James Justice (Martin Methodist)

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Martin Methodist’s James Justice is not a household name in college basketball history.

Playing ball at an NAIA school does not usually get you noticed very much.

But when you are 5’10” and can throw down like he can, you start to gain a reputation that goes beyond your surroundings.

Justice shut down the 2012 NCAA slam dunk competition. It’s hard to imagine being able to get that far off the floor without the aid of a trampoline or a jet pack.

With a vertical leap that neared 50 inches, Justice was definitely served when this diminutive dunker took to the skies.

8. Jacob Tucker (Illinois College)

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You may never have heard of Jacob Tucker of Illinois College (D-III), but if you take time to watch the video here, you are going to be blown away by this 5’11” guard’s hops.

If you think he can just do sick stuff in competition, watch his in-game highlights video. Impressive.

I know that someone might suggest that players like Justice and Tucker don’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the best college players of all time.

To that I say, we will have to agree to disagree. Tucker’s ability to throw down is in the same class as some of the best of the best.

7. D.J. Stephens (Memphis Tigers)

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Memphis’ D.J. Stephens may have only averaged four points per game over his four-year career for the Tigers, but that doesn’t stop him from being known as one of the top collegiate slam dunkers over the past several years.

“Leaping over tall buildings in a single bound” sounds like a description of what he did on a game-by-game basis.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo observed this about Stephens, via Gerry Ahern of the USA Today, "I've never seen a guy dunking the ball coming down way more often than on his way up. And he's smooth about it"

Memphis coach Josh Pastner mentioned one of the ideas that Stephens has for a future slam dunk competition, "He wants to jump over a convertible, dunk the ball, land in the convertible and drive off."

If anyone could do it, Stephens can.

6. Spud Webb (North Carolina State Wolfpack)

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Anthony Jerome "Spud" Webb defied gravity on a consistent basis.

At 5’7”, Webb could pull off mind-blowing slams that most players a foot taller would struggle to execute.

Like most shorter slam dunkers, he combined shocking hops with dazing dexterity

I regret not being able to find video of Spud Webb’s spectacular slam dunks from his collegiate years. But I did not want to let that prevent us from remembering his outrageous aerial awesomeness.

5. Darrell Griffith (Louisville Cardinals)

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The top half of this list features five superstar slam dunkers who were also some of the elite collegiate players of all time.